


The Next Page

by Uniasus



Series: Alternatives [2]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-01-09 07:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uniasus/pseuds/Uniasus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just because the director says cut, doesn't mean the scene is over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mystery Meat

Spike had been exactly afraid of what Jazz had identified that day at school – that his parents would attack him if he told them what exactly he had been holding back. But Jasmine Fenton was a great role model. Right in front of his eyes, she had been attacked by her parents, but had come back from the encounter strong and giving her parents a piece of her mind. And they still loved her. Heck, her dad was willing to give up what everyone knew him for.

Today it seemed was just a day full of signs to tell his parents what he had been thinking about doing for ages. First Tucker Foley's stirring speech about meat and then Jazz's encounter with her parents. 

He was going to do it. He was going look at the plate of food his mother set in front of him for dinner and then confess he was not the vegetarian son his parents had thought he had been for the past ten years. Spike was the family's only meat eater and on top of that he wanted to join the Catholic church. His parents rabbit food diet and prattle about Buddha just wasn't for him. And he knew that would be more shocking to them then when he had walked through the front door with his first piercing.


	2. Parental Bonding

As it turned out, yes, Tucker was that desperate for a girl even if it was for only five minutes. 

“I'll give you back the amulet if you promise to dance with me.”

If anything, this was exactly what the ghost girl wanted for she smiled a huge grin. Pity her skin was green.

Danny raised an eyebrow at him, when he and the ghost princess joined him and Sam on the dance floor, but Tucker didn't care. He had a dance partner! One who he couldn't really touch because his hands always went through her waist. And her hands kept disappearing into his shoulders. So Tucker slow danced with his arms hanging in the air like he was by himself, except for the ghost in between them.

She smiled at him. “You can call me Dora.”

“Tucker Foley, best technogeek at Casper.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“So, uh, you turn into a dragon? That's cool.”

Dora frowned. “I wouldn't say so. I barely remember it each time I change, and it's because of it I died.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

She shrugged. “I don't remember it much.”

Not remembering their deaths had to be a ghost things. Danny didn't recall what happened in the Portal, and even the moments afterward where he and Sam were hovering over him were blurry. Sam said it had something to do with trauma.

The song ended and Tucker stepped back, tired arms now at his side. “Thanks for the dance, it was nice.” Who else could say their first high school dance was with a princess? He dug into his pocket and pulled out the amulet. 

Dora took it and clipped it around her neck. “Thank you as well. It was much better than the Princess Costume Ball I expect. They wouldn't have music like here.”

Probably not, as Tucker was pretty sure she had died hundreds of years ago. 

She floated over, kissed Tucker on the cheek, and the phased through the ceiling. 

“So, ghost lover, eh?” Sam was grinning at him.

“Oh, like you're one to talk.” 

The Goth blushed, while Danny looked back and forth between them in confusion. 

“Come on,” Tucker said, heading for the door. “Let's go before we get told to help clean up. And before Danny's parents offer us a ride.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to continue this in a Dora/Tucker relationship development direction, but I suck at romance and couldn't think of how to do it. Oh well.


	3. One of a Kind

“Danny! Phone!”

Danny gently put down the pieces of his model rocket. He had hoped to fix it after Skulker stomped on it, but he was beginning to think it was a lost cause. With a sigh, he made his way downstairs and into the living room. Jazz handed a receiver to him.

“Is this Daniel Fenton?”

“I prefer Danny.”

“Danny, I'm Monica Sunnydale, from _The Haunt.”_

What was the local newspaper doing calling _him?_ “How can I help you Ms. Sunnydale?”

“Well, I just read the article about your family in _Genius_ magazine and was hoping I could interview you.”

“Uh-thank you for the offer? But I don't do interviews. That was a one time thing.”

“But Danny-”

He cut her off by hanging up.

“Who was that?” Jazz asked as Danny walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of milk. 

“A reporter from _The Haunt._ They wanted an interview.”

Jazz's pencil snapped. “I can't believe Connie wrote about you and not Mom! For Genius magazine which is for _women._ No offense Danny, but you're not that smart.”

“None taken.” Despite his recent drop in grades, he was very well aware of his status as a solid C student. 

“And I find it deplorable that no one at that zoo didn't even check on the gorilla's gender themselves.”

“Sam said the same thing. And apparently, they're in the process of rechecking the gender of every animal on the compound.”

Jazz snorted. She went back to doing her homework and Danny leaned against the counter to empty his glass. As he put it in the sink, Jazz spoke up again.

“I think what worries me the most about this purple back gorilla thing is how it's going to affect your future psychology.”

“Excuse me?”

“It's like a bad mark on your record. Except so good you'll never live up to the expectations and so you'll grow up to be a depressed man. This may be more damaging to you than our parents.” She turned in her seat to look at him. “If you need counseling, you know where I live.”

“Yeah, down the hall. Jazz, this will blow over and I promise I won't grow up into a depressed man.”

“Really?”

“No. But a ride to the hobby store so I could pick up a new model would be appreciated. I need a more achievable goal and a new rocket is perfect.”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Let me finish these questions first, genius boy.”


	4. Attack of the Killer Garage Sale

“Dad, what are you doing?”

Jack Fenton was, of all things, jumping on Danny's bed in an futile effort to reach the light fixture on the ceiling. “No government agency is gonna be spying on my son while he sleeps!”

Thoughts of reminding his dad that they had a ladder were too late as Danny heard something crack. He would bet all the money he had yet to return that the support boards had just broke. “I'll uh, be in Jazz's room.”

He knocked on his sister's door, he had no desire to walk in on her changing like he had a year ago, and when she gave the all clear found her frowning at a similarly broken chair. 

“Dad got in here too, huh?”

“Why's Dad doing this?”

“Apparently, the government didn't stop at bugging the junk that disappeared and then reappeared in the garage. They did the house too. He's trying to check the light.”

Jazz rolled her eyes. 

“I can't believe he didn't use the ladder. I hate studying at the kitchen table. It's too close to the lab.”

“Be happy it's your chair and not your bed.”

“Is that what that cracking sound was?”

“Yeah,” Danny sighed, hair falling into his eyes.

“Come on,” Jazz wrapped an arm around him and grabbed her keys from a hook next to the door frame. “I'll buy you a shake.”

“Really?”

“Living in this environment is not good for a developing fourteen year old. Nasty Burger, despite the smell, is better for your psyche.”

Danny smiled and followed her to her car. She may spout out psychology mumbo-jumbo, and believe it, but he knew she was just being the best big sister ever. He cringed when he heard a second crack from his bedroom.

“Two shakes?”

“That's pushing it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sibling love.


	5. Splitting Images

"Since so many of you protested against using frogs for this science unit, we'll be using piglets instead."

Sam stared up at Mr. Lafayette. 

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not. Illinois regulations state you must dissect something and since it won't be frogs it'll have to be pigs."

"I refuse." Sam crossed her arms. 

Danny leaned into her space. "Sam," he warned but she ignored it. 

"If you do not wish to actually cut into the pig, that's fine. You'll just observe your partner doing so."

"No!" Sam climbed onto the lab station, ignoring Danny's face palm, to address the class. "We said no to frogs because we couldn't stand using animals for a pointless lesson! There is nothing wrong with a diagram. And now the school wants to use an even more advanced creature, pigs? Well I say nay! Who's with me?"

Not a single student raised their hands. Instead, they all slowly blinked at her while Danny banged his head on the stone counter of the lab station. _Thunk, thunk, thunk._

"Miss Manson, I'm sending you to the principal's office. And I'm calling so she knows to expect you."

With a huff, she jumped to the floor and gathered her things.


	6. What You Want

"Sam, have I mentioned what a great friend you are?"

"Because I've kept your secret about being half ghost."

"No, because this chicken noodle soup is amazing."

"Yeah, can you spoon feed me. My hands feel too weak to lift anything."

Sam socked Tucker with a pillow.

"Hey, you can't hit sick people."

"I just did. But seriously," she sat down in the empty chair around the table. "Of all the things you could wish for Tuck and you choose ghost powers?"

"Well, what would you wish for?"

"World peace? For all habitat destruction to stop? Something worthwhile."

"Ghost powers are totally worthwhile," Danny protested. "It's just that, Desiree's wishes never exactly go according to plan. Even if you did wish for world peace, it probably would have been messed up somehow."

"There's no way you could mess up world peace."

"Who knows? Aa-choo!"

"Drink your soup Danny. You too Tucker."


	7. Bitter Reunions

"How did he even get out of that box?" Vlad paced the floor in his lab in ghost form. "If Daniel had just stayed in it, then the plan would have gone well. Jack would be ruined, Maddie would leave him and come crying into my arms, and then Maddie, Jasmine, and Daniel would move here. I'd have the love of my life, and a little badger to teacher."

He sighed, and then kicked the small black box on the floor. "I'll have to ask for my money back from Skulker. It obviously didn't work."

"Now, now, it's not right to be hasty, don't cha know."

Vlad scowled at the Dairy King as he phased through the ceiling. It was the ghost's presence that had drawn him to the property before, but as he settled into the house his opinion of the ghost went from potential understanding friend to annoyance. He didn't share any of Vlad's views or interests, aside from cheese hats, and so Vlad for the most part ignored him. The Dairy King just wanted to be left alone anyway, so it worked out.

"The Skulker has some nice toys. Maybe he could teach you a thing or too."

Vlad scoffed. "Not if they turn off after a few minutes."

"Ah, no. That was me. You can't just keep people captured. That's against the law, don't cha know."

"You sent Daniel free?" Vlad called up ectoenergy to his hands and it pleased him to see that the Dairy King went pale.

"It's the right thing to do. I don't like what you're doing in my house."

"It's my house now. You're dead. And now, I think you'll be destroyed." Vlad shot at the Dairy King. Despite being a powerful man in life, in the afterlife he wasn't anything special. He faded away, soul destroyed and Vlad could only laugh. 

So this plan didn't work. He'll just have to think of another one.


	8. Prisoners of Love

As Spitton didn't have an airport, Aunt Alicia had to take them to the closest one in her beat up pick-up truck.

It was a seven hour drive.

Danny was never, never living that far away from society in his life. There wasn't even outhouses!

They spent the night in a motel and the next morning Alicia took them to the airport before leaving. If it was an airport. There was nothing but a barn and a long strip of asphalt. Wait...the barn doors where opening and inside was a small plane. It looked like a two seater.

It would be a really, really tight fit.

The usual bickering between him and Jazz happened of course (Your elbow is in my kidney! Get your bony butt off of me!) but when Jack and Maddie didn't take steps to mediate they tapered off and sat still. Their dad didn't seem to think anything was amiss, but Danny kept sneaking glances at his mom and saw she was sneaking glances at him and Jazz in return. Weird.

It was only after they were back home did Maddie speak.

"Kids, I want you to know that your dad and I are not getting a divorce. We've never even considered it. And I'm really sorry you thought our fight meant we were splitting up."

"I never thought that," Jazz huffed. "I was just upset that my analysis of Dad was wrong. I never thought he would apologize for anything, or even realize he had done something wrong."

Danny flashed to his parents accidentally sending the Specter Speeder, with him inside, into the Ghost Zone and not noticing at all. Jack wasn't the only one over looked things.

"Danny?"

"I've never seen you guys fight like that before. It was a real fight, not just you telling Dad he couldn't do something and them him pouting. I guess...I guess it just scared me."

"Aw, Danny honey." Maddie pulled Danny into a hug. "I'm sorry. But fights happen, it's part of life. You can't tell me you haven't had disagreements with Sam and Tucker."

"No."

She pulled pack to push some of Danny's hair out of his face. "I love you, your dad loves you, and we all love each other. We're not getting a divorce."

He wanted to ask 'ever?' but knew better. You could never predict the future and his own status as a halfa was proof of that.

"Okay. Can we go out for dinner? Those samples you left in the fridge contaminated everything."

"Sure."

"Steak!" Jack shouted, rushing to the garage and the RV. Maddie simply shook her head, smile on her face.


	9. My Brother's Keeper

"Hey Mr. Lancer!" Jazz greeted her teacher as she slid into line behind him at the concession stand.

"Ah, Miss Fenton. Enjoying the football game I hope?"

"It's okay. I guess I was hoping that the energy from the pep rally today would last longer."

"Yes." Mr. Lancer looked towards the football field were the cheerleading squad was doing a small routine before the start of the fourth quarter. Jazz turned to look too. The varsity squad hadn't performed any of the aerial stunts they usually did, throwing girls in the air or any sort of pyramids. It was all ground cheers.

And behind them was the scoreboard. Amity Park 7, Roseton 22.

Jazz turned back to her teacher. "At least we tried. It's also wonderful seeing the school as a whole brighter."

"All thanks to your speech. But I think Ms. Spectra might have been too excited by the spirit sparklers. They almost caused a fire."

"Yeah, I got a little singed." Jazz pinched the end of her hair and Mr. Lancer gave her a quick once over. 

"Nothing permanent, I hope?"

"No."

"Good. I'll have to warn Ms. Spectra about using them at other schools. If I ever see her again, of course. We hired her to help with spirit week and true to form she took off at the end of the rally."

"I noticed that." Jazz looked towards Danny where he was sitting with Sam and Tucker. She had not only insisted on coming to the game tonight, but that Danny should join her and he could bring his friends. Danny took it as a way of her showing she did care for him and didn't think he was a loser. In actuality though, Jazz just wanted to observe her brother a little more and his interactions with Sam, Tucker, and any ghost that might show up.

"I wanted to thank you, Mr. Lancer, for agreeing to help me help my brother. But I think he's okay now. I figured out what was bothering him."

"Did you now?" He moved forward a few steps as the line moved. "I'm glad to hear. Nothing too serious I hope?"

"Nothing a bit of sibling bonding couldn't fix. I've been feeling like his keeper instead of his sister I guess, but we're working on it."

"Wonderful."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I have a tumblr now! uniasus.tumblr.com


End file.
